Tuesday 28th August 2012

Time For Tea? Brock at work

Post bank holiday blues? Man-up with a display of true V8-powered Aussie grit from Peter Brock

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OK, you can file under classics from the archive. And it kicked a whole threadoff too. But, honestly, if I'm ever having a bit low I just have to fire this video up and in a little over four minutes all seems right with the world again. Seen it before? Watch it again. First time? Be ready to be amazed.

Where to start? The noise is a good place. Brock's 1991 Holden Commodore - a Vauxhall Senator to us whinging Poms - demonstrates precisely how a dull day can be torn apart with a V8, preferably one belching black clouds of hydrocarbons or large licks of flame depending on whether you're on or off the throttle. Not much of the latter here though, Brock definitely doing his bit for global warming with this stupendous display of skill and determination.

You don't have to know anything about Brock, Aussie touring cars or Bathurst to appreciate it either - it's just a perfect demonstration of beyond the limit driving in a real lump of a car devoid of frills and fripperies. Sodding great V8, manual gearbox and an utterly, utterly committed driver fighting it every second of the way. Just look at how close he skims the walls, how much time he spends sideways, off the ground and/or on the very, very limits of grip and savour every last second.

And the commentary just seals it. "Boy, he's putting the boot in!" Too bloody right! Turn it up loud...

 

 

[mwstewart]

Awesome. In terms of the post race interview it would be nice if some of the dead-pan F1 driers would take a leaf out of his book!

[Dan Trent]

Yeah, that's one of the coolest things about it. A heartfelt grimace at not getting the time, a shrug, a grin and a 'yeah, I gave 'em a good show!'

Awesome!

[Digga]

mwstewart said:

Awesome. In terms of the post race interview it would be nice if some of the dead-pan F1 driers would take a leaf out of his book!

And own up to the blame when they cock-up you mean. Big of him to admit he'd messed-up the brake bias.

Absolutely amazing car control though. Modern racing cars seldom look so dramatic. Reminds me of the glory days of the TVR Tuscans...

[Liquid Knight]

Didn't Peter Brock drive with Gerry Marshal at some point?

Great drive and that time would still be respectable now.

[LouD86]

That was an awesome watch!! That really was 11/10th's!! Good man, wish I could drive to the same level!

[gog440]

Just watched that video with my 7yo. We both loved it, flames, oversteer and that noise, what more could you want.

[hotmelt]

When cars were cars! Even the current fast Holdens are based on old Vauxhall Omega rear drive chassis. Good drive too.

[Gatsods]

100% committed, amazing stuff

[louismchuge]

Wouldn't he have gone quicker with the window wound up?!?!!

Uber cool

[RevOne]

Gotta love the VN Commodores. Learnt to drive in a 5 speed VN wagon... i think it was sometimes on two wheels as well

[Maldini35]

God, it's hard not to be a "things were better in the good old days" bore when you see footage like that

.....partly because things were so much better in those days.

What drama. Too much grip (aero & mechanical) means modern cars just look less exciting at the limit (although they're just as hard to drive no doubt).

[Hartge220]

One of my fave pieces of motorsort footage

Was lucky enough to meet & work with the Legend a couple of times (at trade shows), a thoroughly great bloke, had time for everyone & never shyed away from signing an autograph, such a sad loss

[FestivAli]

hotmelt said:

When cars were cars! Even the current fast Holdens are based on old Vauxhall Omega rear drive chassis. Good drive too.

Completely wrong. The last Commodore based on the Omega was the VZ, which was replaced in 2006 by the (go figure) VE Commodore, based on the General Motors Zeta Platform built in Elizabeth, South Australia. The current Chevrolet Camaro also uses the Zeta platform.

[cptsideways]

And then there is the RS500 footage with the in car interview :nod: proper motorsport

[AdeV]

Now I want a Vauxhall Senator. And a BIG V8. And lots of time....

Awesome stuff.

[masermartin]

Great footage - and absolutely on the limit. The guy's a legend for a good reason.

[23]

Liquid Knight said:

Didn't Peter Brock drive with Gerry Marshal at some point?

Great drive and that time would still be respectable now.

...at the 1977 Spa24hrs

http://www.1977spa24.com/

What a drive by both that was

[Reardy Mister]

WAAAAAAAH!!!!

PH you've completely made my day by putting the Great Peter Brock on the front page.

Just watched it again, obviously. It doesn't get any better. That's my childhood and every aspiration I had until I was old enough to know better, right there in those couple of minutes of footage.

I could bore people forever about what a fan I am (enough to know he was something of a flawed genius, it's true), but it might be easier to just show off my numberplate:

Edited by Reardy Mister on Tuesday 28th August 19:23

[GarryA]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9I7GWllPFY

Always liked this effort from Tom Walkinshaw

[BoxsterEtype]

Just had this conversation today:

Him:You going the WRC Welsh Rally this year?

Me:Nope!

Him:Why not?

Me:Until they ban 4WD and we have real cars again that move around and the drivers have to recover them and give us a spectacle once more I'm out. I took my students last year and their highlight was MK II Escorts and Manta 400's sliding all over the place in the fog.

Him: I was at the Oulton Park Gold Cup yesterday and the group B cars out of control were so much better than watching todays cars.

Me: Make the WRC RWD and the viewing figures will climb and climb.